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Maersk Line states that it will implement a general rate increase from India to Latin America starting on the first of February, 2013. The increase is scheduled for both 40-foot containers and 20-foot containers. The 40-foot containers have been slated to rise in price by $400 while the 20-foot containers are set to rise by $200 per engagement. Maersk claims that this increase is a means of dealing with rising prices of fuel. Maersk has also said that other routes will be facing rate increases in the future. Already, the Asia-Europe route is under heavy scrutiny, since A.P. Moller-Maersk states that at the current rates, they are not making money and to make the route profitable, rake hikes will be needed and are probably already under consideration. In addition to the rate hikes, Maersk has also announced that the effective dates of its congestion charges to the US have been moved to a later date in February (depending on the location), in order to deal with a possible strike by the International Longshoremen’s Association. This has come because of a recent break in negotiation talks in the New York- New Jersey region which could lead to massive strikes and could… read more »

In an increasingly environmentally aware world, going green has become good for business and having an environmentally friendly public profile can now be crucial. Because of the huge amount of fuel that they consume and the size of many shipping lines, maritime industries are now coming under closer scrutiny for the impact that they are having on the environment. In addition, the implementation of a carbon tax in many countries has had shipping companies looking seriously at how they can manage their carbon footprint. Global shipping accounts for 3.3% of CO2 emissions worldwide with 2.7% being contributed by international shipping1. While this may sound like a small amount in comparison to other industries it still represents the equivalent CO2 output of a small country and it is also thought that unless the issue is addressed now that it could eventually grow to as much as five or six times that amount by 2050. Another issue facing the maritime freight industry is one of public perception. Even though transport by ship is the most carbon efficient method for moving freight, mostly due to economies of scale, the ships themselves are known to consume huge amounts of fuel and to produce large… read more »